A woman suffering from severe period pain was left distraught when doctors told her she had vaginal cancer.

Antonia Atherton, 25, received her diagnosis eight weeks ago when she had a smear test.

Since she was 16 years old Antonia has regular smear tests because she suffers with endometriosis - a condition which causes tissue to grow outside of the uterus.

Endometriosis can cause debilitating period pain, with other symptoms including pelvic pain, pain during sex and pain when urinating.

Therefore, when Antonia was suffering with what she called “bad period pain” she thought it was just a symptom of the condition and said she could not believe it when doctors told her it was in fact cancer.

Antonia Atherton, 25, was diagnosed with cancer of the vaginal wall eight weeks ago and is currently undergoing chemotherapy (Image: Handout)

She said: “I didn’t even think vaginal cancer was possible.

“Obviously I had heard of cervical cancer but this is cancer in the wall of the vagina.

“I had never even heard of it and couldn’t believe what they were saying.”

Within the same week Antonia, who lives with her boyfriend of three years, James Standen, had to undergo laser treatment on the abnormal cells and began her first of six rounds of chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy.

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Due to the treatment Antonia, who runs a baby clothes stall in St Johns Market, lost her hair and her eyebrows.

She said: “Being a Scouse girl your hair and your ‘Scouse brows’ are a big thing.

“I am more devastated about losing my eyebrows than my hair and it is hard when I look in the mirror because I just think eyebrows completely change your face but as long as the cancer goes, it is only hair at the end of the day - it will grow back.”

Antonia Atherton, began to lose her hair due to having chemotherapy so took the decision to shave it off (Image: Handout)

Antonia said she is also coming to terms with the possibility that she may not be able to have children in the future due to the chemotherapy, as her chances were already low due to having endometriosis.

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She said: “I will have regular checks for life and I just have to hope it doesn’t come back.

“If it did then I would probably have to have a hysterectomy but the chemotherapy alone could make me infertile which is something I would have to deal with.

“I try not to think about it and I think I perhaps need to have some therapy to be able to sit down and speak to someone about it, but my boyfriend has been amazing.

“We have obviously talked about having children, but he is so supportive.

“He already has a child and he has just been amazing about it.”

Antonia Atherton with her boyfriend of three years James Standen - who she said has been "amazingly supportive" when she was diagnosed with vaginal cancer (Image: Handout)

Despite her diagnosis and its effects, Antonia, who lives in Widnes, said she actually feels “very lucky” as doctors were able to catch the cancer in its early stages.

She added: “Having endomitriosis saved my life and I actually feel quite blessed that I have it.

“Doctors wouldn’t have found the cancer until it was too late if I hadn’t been going for regular smear tests.

“I just feel very lucky and I know how lucky I am and that is what keeps me so happy and positive about it.

“Cancer is a scary word and it has affected my family a lot, they have taken it quite hard, but to see how positive I am has helped them.

“And the chemotherapy is working and doctors said they don’t think I will need anymore chemotherapy after the sixth round so that is good.”

Latest figures show that cases of vaginal cancer are much lower than other gynaecological forms with 254 new cases of vaginal cancer recorded in the UK in 2014 as opposed to 3,224 cases of cervical cancer and 7,378 cases of ovarian cancer.

Antonia, who said she had never heard of vaginal cancer before her diagnosis, said she now wants to raise awareness of the disease and the importance of attending smear tests.

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She said: “People are still embarrassed about having smear tests, even my mum who is 48 and has had them so many times before is still embarrassed every time she has to go, but people really need to get over it because they save your life and take less than five minutes.

“I don’t have a clue why the age of smear tests is still so high, it needs to be lowered. I think from the age you have a period you should start having smear tests.

“The type of cancer I have can be so easily misdiagnosed because the symptoms are exactly the same as endomitriosis and are similar to water infections or even just bad period pain.

“I would advice any woman who has any of the symptoms to go to the GP and ask for a smear test.

“And don’t be embarrassed. I understand because it is vaginal cancer it is a sort of embarrassing area to talk about, especially with men, but they need to be aware of what can happen to women too.

“I had been saying to people when they ask that I have cancer in the ‘women’s area’ but I just say vaginal cancer now because it raises awareness and people will only know about it by hearing the name of it.”

Antonia is documenting her journey to recovery on her Youtube channel and is using the hashtag #dontfearthesmear on her Twitter @AntoniaLouise1 and on Instagram cwithasmile.